Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Because we use a "Public Domain" translation for the English, sometimes, it confuses folks.

They start thinking we got the Cherokee translation wrong.

But that is an incorrect assumption.

Did you know?

There are at least two hundred words in the KJV that have become so antiquated that they have changed meanings or have dropped entirely out of common usage, so that you really DO need a dictionary to understand them.

See-- while the CHEROKEE words/meanings HAVE NOT changed, the meaning of the "king's English" found in the KJV has DEFINITELY CHANGED over the years.

so what the English said then is NOT what our vernacular means today!

The most "infamous" of these English changes is the word "Let" which actually means "STOP" or "restrain"!The version in the Public Domain is the KJV aka King James Version.

Here we will list some of the confusing words along with the Cherokee Translation.

In time, we may be able to list them all here-- for now, they are in a FILE that you may download if you wish (available on the devotional website)

Following are some examples of these confusing words; This sample is posted to give you an idea of how far off the English actually is but since the Cherokee was translated from original Greek Source documents, the Cherokee is much more accurate:

DID YOU KNOW?Each month, beginning in 1844, Evan Jones began publishing "the Cherokee Messenger".On a monthly basis, 1000 copies were printed and distributed.Portions of the Bible (and eventually even John Bunyan's book "Pilgrim's Progress") were placed in these monthly editions.As these were received and read, the feedback on them from the Cherokee was used to improve the translations.In 1846, the entire New Testament was reprinted.Evans also printed and distributed Hymns in this manner, along with a "Book for Mothers".This process ensured that the texts were proof read and approved and corrected by fluent Cherokee speakers before the final publication was printed.

SOURCE: AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME MISSION SOCIETY, Missions in North America

Prentice Robinson, Cherokee Author & fluent speaker, suggests that everyone who wants to seriously study Cherokee Language use the published Cherokee Bible.Robinson has said on many occasions

"The Bible remains the basic text of the Cherokee language containing the most nearly complete vocabulary."

Friday, July 17, 2015

BiLingual: English & CherokeeDaily use of a language means it is still LIVING!

The Links on this page

[see link below]

show the selections in the English translation, in the Cherokee Syllabary AND in the Cherokee Phonetics so that students of any age or level can use this tool!BONUS: this assists our volunteer proofreaders to all be "on the same page" as we like to say- so that we are working together to make corrections on the same passage- this saves us time and ensures that we don't miss a section

please, enjoy even if you don't want to proof read- this is an exciting way to view the Cherokee Language in DAILY USE!

Saving a LanguageEfforts should be concentrated on the earlier stages of restoration until they have been consolidated before proceeding to the later stages.

Steps in saving a Language:

There are many different theories or models that attempt to lay out a plan for language revitalization.
One of these is provided by celebrated linguist:

Joshua Fishman

Fishman's model for reviving threatened (or sleeping) languages, or for making them sustainable, consists of an eight-stage process.

Efforts should be concentrated on the earlier stages of restoration until they have been consolidated before proceeding to the later stages.

The eight stages are:

1.Acquisition of the language by adults, who in effect act as language apprentices (recommended where most of the remaining speakers of the language are elderly and socially isolated from other speakers of the language).

2.Create a socially integrated population of active speakers (or users) of the language (at this stage it is usually best to concentrate mainly on the spoken language rather than the written language).

3.In localities where there are a reasonable number of people habitually using the language, encourage the informal use of the language among people of all age groups and within families and bolster its daily use through the establishment of local neighborhood institutions in which the language is encouraged, protected and (in certain contexts at least) used exclusively.

4.In areas where oral competence in the language has been achieved in all age groups encourage literacy in the language but in a way that does not depend upon assistance from (or goodwill of) the state education system.

5.Where the state permits it, and where numbers warrant, encourage the use of the language in compulsory state education.

once those first 5 stages have been successful, the following can be implemented as well:

6.Where the above stages have been achieved and consolidated, encourage the use of the language in the workplace (lower work sphere).
7.Where the above stages have been achieved and consolidated encourage the use of the language in local government services and mass media.
8.Where the above stages have been achieved and consolidated encourage use of the language in higher education, government, etc.

This model of language revival is intended to direct efforts to where they are most effective and to avoid wasting energy trying to achieve the later stages of recovery when the earlier stages have not been achieved.

REMEMBER:

Efforts should be concentrated on the earlier stages of restoration until they have been consolidated before proceeding to the later stages.